Black-Figure Amphora (Storage Vessel) (Primary Title)
attributed to, Swing Painter (Artist)
The Swing Painter was a prolific and playful artisan. This scene of two mares and a stallion may record nothing more than horses at play, but it could be a metaphor for the struggle over Ionia (part of modern Turkey) between “manly” Greeks (the stallion) and “effeminate” Persians (a mare). The scene has also been interpreted as a parody of depictions of battles between Greeks and Amazons (an Amazonomachy) or of a fight over the body of a fallen warrior.
Adolph D. and Wilkins C. Williams Fund
“The Horse in Ancient Greek Art,” National Sporting Library and Museum, Middleburg, VA, September 7, 2017 – January 14, 2018; VMFA, February 17 – July 8, 2018
Encounter I: Space VMFA, Feb. – March 1974
The Greek Line, Norfolk Museum of Arts and Sciences, 1 – 29 October 1962
Encounter I: Space VMFA, Feb. – March 1974
The Greek Line, Norfolk Museum of Arts and Sciences, 1 – 29 October 1962
January 1962 (Herbert Cahn, Münzen und Medaillen, A.G., Basel); purchased by Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA), Richmond; accessioned into VMFA collection January 17, 1962. [1]
[1] Information in VMFA Curatorial and Registration records.
[1] Information in VMFA Curatorial and Registration records.
Image released via Creative Commons CC-BY-NC
Some object records are not complete and do not reflect VMFA's full and current knowledge. VMFA makes routine updates as records are reviewed and enhanced.